If this block could talk.

This amazing piece o kitchen furniture came out of a Portuguese butcher shop in Spain.  I was just gifted this amazing piece by a client of mine,  who knows that I am a fan of anything regarding tools of the culinary nature.

When she called me and asked if I would like to take this off her hands,  I said yes in a clam manner although on the inside i almost made a mess of myself.  My wife and I have been looking for a piece to go in this section of our kitchen for a while but never found the perfect accoutrement.

It weighs almost 500 pounds and is about 120 years old.  There are indention's  in the block from where over time it had worn away from cut after cut after cut.

My only thought is when I look at it,  I think to myself I wish it could talk.  The stories that it would tell.

You see i think that in a time that we are so consumed with all that is new,  its nice to reflect on something that has a history older than yourself.  When I look at this block it is not just a block but someones love, sweat and tears.  Not only in the craftsmanship but in the fact for at least two families it brought money to them so that they could survive.  The man who made the block slaved over the making of the beast.  Each piece of wood in the block is about 2x2.  Each block is dovetailed one end being male and one being female.  All being joined together like a huge jigsaw puzzle.

The second family to make a dollar on this block is the butcher that the piece went to.  I can only imagine the countless legs of Spanish jamon had been fabricated on the wood.  How many pounds of chorizo had been cut and wrapped on there.  All the stories of everyone who went in to the shop to buy meat to take home to feed there family's.  All the stories that were shared around this beautiful piece of art.  How much money had exchanged hands in front of the block.

Where did it go after Spain?  How many families enjoyed food prepared from this?  How many cries, laughs, pain, joy and love did this old tree endure?

All i know is from this point on,  in my house it will have some great stories when it leaves!

Only if this block could talk.

Wing and a Prayer

As I was sitting reading my Gourmet magazine one summer afternoon,  I came across an article claiming that this recipe was the best marshmallow that you will ever eat.  So since I had time on my hands and all the ingredients for that recipe I decided to give it ago.

As I was mixing up all the sweet goodness I realized I was dealing with the stickiest thing that i have ever dealt with in my life.  It was everywhere!  After i was done I cut them up and gave it the old taste test and I'll be dammed if that wasn't the best marshmallow I have ever eaten.

So fast forward about a year,  I had made a few dozen here and there just for fun and tweaking on the recipe to make it more of something that I would like to eat.

My oldest daughter came to my wife and i and asked us to cater her first coed birthday party.  She had not ever had a birthday party with all her mates from school.  So we decided that would be a good time.

She had told us that she wanted a party that the theme was BACON.  After all it was her favorite food at that time.  Everything that we made for that day had bacon in it in some way shape or form.  From hamburgers, to bacon wrapped tater tots, to bacon caramel  corn, to the star of the show a bacon marshmallow.  

This was going to be the one thing that made the kids go freaking bananas.  They were going to tell me that was soooooo gross and disgusting.  Well that is not what happened at all.  they were gone before i could even say happy birthday.

My wife looked at me and asked why we were not selling those.  "people are going to buy the hell out of those" she said.

So we came up with our name and via Face book Donna Drummonds' was born.  We sold almost 1000 pieces over thanksgiving and Christmas.  And now we are giving it a bigger launch so with all your help.  We are going to get Double D's out in to the public.

We have made the following

S'mores
Peppermint
Meyer lemon
Coconut
Pumpkin
Root beer
Banana
Rose
Bacon
Ouzo

They are packed as shown above.  All dipped on a stick are $3.00 for an order you may email me at doubledsgourmettreats@gmail.com.  Valentines day is coming our new heart day flavors will be reviled soon.  Stay tuned.

Donna Drummonds is committed in taking you back to your childhood one bite at a time.  Happy eating